“Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, ‘A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!’” Judges 7:20
Gideon ordered his men to do two things: covering up a torch in an earthen pitcher, he bade them, at an appointed signal, break the pitcher and let the light shine, and then sound with the trumpet, crying, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon! A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” This is precisely what all Christians must do.
First, you must shine; break the pitcher which conceals your light; throw aside the bushel which has been hiding your candle, and shine. Let your light shine before men; let your good works be such, that when men look upon you, they shall know that you have been with Jesus. Then there must be the sound, the blowing of the trumpet. There must be active exertions for the ingathering of sinners by proclaiming Christ crucified. Take the gospel to them. Carry it to their door. Put it in their way. Do not suffer them to escape it. Blow the trumpet right against their ears. Remember that the true war cry of the Church is Gideon’s watchword, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” God must do it; it is his own work.
But we are not to be idle; instrumentality is to be used—“A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” If we only cry, “A sword for the Lord!” we shall be guilty of an idle presumption; and if we shout, “A sword for Gideon!” alone, we shall manifest idolatrous reliance on an arm of flesh: we must blend the two in practical harmony, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” We can do nothing of ourselves, but we can do everything by the help of our God; let us, therefore, in his name determine to go out personally and serve with our flaming torch of holy example, and with our trumpet tones of earnest declaration and testimony, and God shall be with us, and Midian shall be put to confusion, and the Lord of hosts shall reign forever and ever.
Adapted from Morning and Evening.
